Don't Kill Dinner by Jennifer Martinez- * * 1/2

Title: Don't Kill Dinner
Series: The Rules Trilogy
Author: Jennifer Martinez
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: * * 1/2

Publishers: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

(Mar 6, 2013)

Paperback: 152  pages

ISBN: 978-1482664393

FTC Disclosure: Purchase from Amazon

There are three rules when it comes to being a vampire in New Orleans. 
1) Don’t kill dinner. 
2) Don’t feed from people you know. 
3) Don’t tell anyone. 
Not too hard, right? Wrong. Kenna is a new vampire filled with a passion that has turned into an uncontrollable lust for blood.

Will Arthur be able to stop her feeding spree before the coven comes after her or is Kenna beyond saving?

Arthur has been watching Kenna for years, wanting her to try her own hand in life before he gave her the ultimate proposal. Now that she has accepted, will his love be enough to save her?

First let me say, I really, really, really wanted to love this book and despite the less than lukewarm reviews I read when it first came out, I still read it when I got the chance. I mean, look at that fabulous cover! That alone had me drooling. Throw in the awesome title and hey, it's gotta be good- right? 

I mean even after originally giving it only two stars, I went back and changed it to 2 1/2 stars cause it did have potential. I loved it in the very beginning, although I thought Kenna's reason for wanting to be changed to a vampire was not real compelling. I loved the setting though. New Orleans has got to be my fav place for vampires and all other paranormals. And I loved the concept that allowed the vamps to walk in daylight, very unique. But nearly every other aspect of the story failed. Dismally! 

It felt really rushed to me. I mean seriously, it was only 152 pages, surely the writer could have expanded more on the world and the  rules (yeah, yeah, I know only 3 rules- see the book's description) but 

I did not buy for one instant the inability of Arthur to not recognize what was going on with Kenna. Ding, ding, ding--soul mates here!

What happened to his and all the other "older" vampire's ability to read minds and know what she was hiding. Never bought that at all. Nope, that was it for me.  At that point I was seriously glad the book was soooo short as I just wanted it to end.  It just saddens me to see such potential fall flat.

I'm not saying I definitely won't read the other books in the trilogy (I probably won't though) but I certainly won't rush out to get them.

Review- 4*--The Blue Eyes Trilogyby B Kristin McMichael

• Series: The Blue Eyes Trilogy
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Lexia Press (June 6, 2013)
• ISBN-13: 978-0989121835
• 
  

Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen, and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention. Devin is set on keeping her safe above all else. Turner's goal is to make her happy. And Andrew wants her for himself. At some point Arianna will have to choose between them, but first she needs to survive the plots against her.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book except for the love triangle. Must every YA author employee this device? And I could have done without the different POVs, another YA device that I detest. It always makes me aware that I'm reading not just enjoying the ride. Other than that, I enjoyed the story as much as I did book one. The twisty story kept me guessing yet again and I so love a story that can keep me guessing. This is an amazing world and am going to be so sad to see it end.

Review-The Legend of the Blue Eyes by B. Kristin McMichael

Title: The Legend of the Blue Eyes
Series: Blue Eyes Trilogy #1
Author: B Kristin McMichael
Genre: YA Paranormal

Rating: *****

Publishers: Lexia Press
(Jan 4, 2015)

Paperback: 250 pages

ISBN: 978-0989121811

FTC Disclosure:  eBook provided by the author via The Book Machine

Arianna Grace liked her boring, Midwestern, teenage life where she ignored the many unanswered questions of her childhood. Why were her parents dead? Why did she not have family? Where was she raised until she was five? When someone offers to explain it all, Arianna thinks she's just getting answers. Instead, she is thrown into a world of night humans who drink blood.
On Arianna's sixteenth birthday, her world is thrown upside down when she changes into a vampire. Night humans, or demons, as some call them, live in normal society. Learning all of the new rules of a world she didn't know existed might be hard enough, but it's further complicated by two former-friends that now want to help her take her role as the successor to her grandfather.
There is a war going on between the night humans. Sides have been taken and lines are not crossed. Four main clans of night humans are struggling for control of the night. Divided into two sides, clans Baku and Tengu have been at war for centuries with the clans Dearg-dul and Lycan. That is, until Arianna Grace finds out the truth; she's the bridge of peace between the two sides. But not everyone wants peace. With the night humans divided, Arianna is now a pawn in the war between them. She must choose a side--her mother's family or her father's--and for once in her life, decide her own fate.

I love vampire books. I've read all varieties-scary, funny, silly, sick, YA, boink like rabbits ones- I've read them all. The ones where they catch fire in sunlight,  slap on SPF 100 and walk in the sun, turn to ash with a pointy stick,  fly like a bird, turn to mist, travel through time, have babies, don't have babies, are 30 and gorgeous, are 1000 and gorgeous,
so needless to say I was tickled to be treated to this awesome new vampire world. It blows my mind that as many incredible vampire worlds as there are out in the literary world, McMichael has concocted yet another. Bravo!
I sat down at about 9 one evening to take a peek at this book and did not look up till nearly 3 AM when I finished it. While I'm not a fan of the love triangle (and I suspect it will be a quadrangle before it's over) it wasn't intrusive on the overall story. I'll definitely be back for the rest of the trilogy.